Pipe tongs



w. H, MARTIN PIPE Tone Navi 24, 1942;."`

Filed oci. 14. 1940 WM- H.\"IART\ N.

A INVENTOR. imm f5. @wf- Patented Nov. 24, 1942 t UNITED STATI-1s PATEN T( OFFICE PIPE 'roNGs william n. Martin, Hebbmnviue, frex. Application `October 14, 1940, Serial No. 361,094 Y -T s claims'. (crass-35) i 'I'he invention relates to an -improvementin pipe tong and the general combination assembly and'the manipulation thereof.

` In running strings of pipe into and out of-a well bore Ythe pipe sections are threaded end to end in making up the string of pipe, and unthreaded in disconnectingthe pipe. A l

f In the rotary method of drilling, the drill stem lis made up of heavy pipe sections which must be y going functions. The usual practicer is to support that portion of the string of pipe which remains in the well bore by a set Yof slipsrin the rotary table, and in order toV make the joint up at a convenient elevation to the drilling crew, the slips are usually positioned so as to catch the upstanding pipe end about three or four feet yfroml the end so that this portion three or four f feet long projects -above the rotary table. One pipe tong is connected to this upstanding end and suitably anchored so as to hold it against rotation. Where a pipe-string is being -made up the new section of pipe is then inserted in this upstanding end and turned so as to make up the thread. A second pipe tong is connected to this upper section of pipe and a pull exerted on such second tong in order to make up the threads tightly. The practice is to use what is generally known as a jerk line whereby a mechanical pull is exerted upon this upper tong to jerk the tong land thus tighten the thread.

'Ihe practice has been to place these tongs on opposite sides of the pipe so that the anchor cable and the jerk line both exerted a pull in the same direction but on opposite sides of the pipe. The net result was to impart to the pipe a bending action where it projected above the slips. 'I'he pipe was thus bent rst in one direction and then on the next trip into thewell it might be bent in another direction with the result that the pipe metal was crystallizedat the point of vbending and result in defects or splitting of the pipe. A split thus created in the pipe permitted leakage and destruction of the pipe.

s The present invention contemplates an assembly and a mode of operation of the tongs wherein this bending action will be avoided, ,and the stress applied to the pipe would be a simple torque tending to make up the pipe. f i y The invention-'contemplates that the twov pipe tongs will be so arranged with their handles in substantially the same Vertical. planeY and the anchor cable and the jerk line so disposed and connectedto the respective tongs thatr the pull on the jerk line will be opposed by an equal and opposite reaction on-ftheanchor line-so that the net resulty will -be an elimination of the.. bending action or bending -moment which has been heretofore appliedto the pipe. 1 A A 1 It is one of the objects of the present invention to position the jerk lineso that the pull thereon is opposite to the anchor line whenl making up or breaking out pipe joints. 1

Another object of the invention is to suspend a pair of tongs in making up or breaking out pipe joints one over the other. I

Another object of theV invention is to provide a suspension mechanism for a pipe tong so that va second tong may be Ymanipulated within. the conlines of said suspension mechanism. J Another object of the invention 4is to `provide a pipe tong with side arms by which it maybe suspended.

Another object. of the the .pipe straight While making up the joint.

Another objectV of the invention is to provide an'upstanding extension on a pipetong to receive the suspending device.

.- Other and further objectsY of the invention `will be readily apparent when the following de,- scription is considered in connection with` the accompanying drawing, wherein: l, D ,.Fig.A 1 .is a top plan view looking down on a -special'type of tong to be utilized in connection with the invention.. 1 f Fig.` 2 is a side elevation of the make-up and Ibreak-out tongs as they are used incombination. 1. Fig. 3. is a top plan` view Vdiagrammatically `illustrating the manner of practicing the invention.

InFig.v 3 the rotary mechanism is illustrated .generally at2, the hoisting equipment at 3, and the,.dri1l ,pipe` being made up or broken out is seen at L The pipe 4y is in the form of an upstanding pipe fend 5, vas best seen in Fig. 2 Wherein.the pipe is supported in the rotary table 2 by means of aset of` slips 6, which are arranged vto Wedge into thelopening in the rotary table so as to supportV the Weightrof thestring of pipe 4, The,pipe sections may -be constructed in yany de:v

'aired manner. .such as flush Joint, too1 iointzor linvention is to maintain upset end pipe. That shown in Fig. 2 is known as upset ush joint pipe.

As pointed out heretofore, the prior practice has permitted the bending of this upstanding pipe end 5 at about the elevation 'I Where the pipe enters the slips 6, and in the present invention it is intended that this bending of the pipe will be eliminated by the 4construction and arrangement of the tongs. The anchor tong is illustrated at I and is best seen in Fig. l where it comprises the jaws I I and the handle I2. The handle is of peculiar construction in that it has the arms I3 and I4 extending from the opposite:4

sides thereof adjacent the head or jaw I I. These arms may be of any desired length and have the openings I5 in the end thereof and are preferably made integral with the handle I2.v

The end of the handle may have an opening I1,-

therein to receive the anchor linel I8 by which the tong is held against rotation, as best seen in Fig. 3.

In order to suspend the tong in a horizontal plane as seen in Fig. 2, an extension is shown as having been applied to the handle. In the drawing it is illustrated in the form of a rod affixed to the handle and projecting upwardly therefrom a short distance. With the ordinary size of tong in general use the extension 20 will approximate two feet in length. An opening 2l may be provided in the upper end of the extension. It is to be understood that this extension may be made integral with the tong by turning up the end of the handle, or it may be aliixed as shown in the drawing.

The suspending mechanism is in the form of a link 22 connected i'n the opening 2I in the extension 20 and a turn buckle 25 connected in each of the openings I5 in each of the arms I3 and I4. The two turn buckles and the link 22 are in turn engaged in a ring 26 carried by the supporting line 2. In this manner the tong, by suitable adjustment of the turn buckle, may be suspended in a normally horizontal plane.

When the tong I0 is thus positioned about the pipe end 5 and anchored to the cable I5 it will hold the pipe 5 firmly in place.

The pipe end 30 is now moved into position and its threaded pin end inserted into the upstanding threaded box end of the pipe 5. The tong 32 is then connected about the pipe end 3D so that turn buckles 36 where the turn buckles are connected by the loop 31 at the side of the handle, and the link 35 is attached by the loop 38 to the outer end of the handle. These two turn buckles 36 and the link 35 are all connected to the ring 39 and the suspension line 40 so that this tong 32 will also be suspended in horizontal position. It should be noted, however, that the link 22 and the turn buckles on the tong I0 are substantially longer than those on the tong 32.

The end of the handle 34 has an opening-42 therein to which the jerk line 43 is connected. This line in turn passes over a cathead 44 which is arranged to be operated by a hoisting mechanism 3. When the tongs are positioned as shown in Fig. 3 with the handles I2 and 34 in substantially vertical alignment, it seems obvious that the pull exerted on the jerk line 43 will exert a torque on the pipe and that this torque will be transmitted to the tong I0 and the anchor vline I8, and Where the jerk line and theanchor -line extend in opposite directions there will be a reaction through the tongs to the anchor line which will be equal and opposite to the pull on the jerk line. The arrangement of the anchor line and the jerk line so that they are oppositely extending eliminates any bending moment as applied to the pipe end 5 so that any stress applied to the pipe is a simple torque reaction.

One of the particular advantages of the present arrangement is that vthe tong 32 may be positioned inside of the suspending mechanism for the tong I0 and still permit its ready manipulation or operation. This is accomplished by the provision of the side arms I3 and I4 and the extension 20 so as to allow the turn buckles 25 and the link 22 to be spaced far enough apart and far enough above the tong I0 to accommodate the handle 34 of the tong 32 within the connes of such suspending mechanism.

It should be borne in mind that with the deep well higher temperatures are encountered in the bottom of the well bore. For instance, in ,a 10,000-ft. well a temperature of 240 or 250 F. can be expected. Such a temperature causes the metal of the drill stem of the tool joints to expand and this results in an expansion of the rotated portions. An expansion of this sort often permits leakage where the drill stem is subjected to the pressure of the drilling mud on the inside. Often the mud pressure exceeds 1,000 or 1,500 pounds per square inch. It is imperative, therefore, that the' tool joint be made up as tightly as possible at the surface so that when this expansion occurs a tight joint will be maintained.

With the practices as outlined heretofore where an upstanding portion of the pipe above the rotary table was bent in making up the joint, it seems obvious that where one piece of pipe was bent away from the vertical and the other piece of pipe was suspended in a vertical position by the hoisting equipment, that it would be difficult, even impossible, to make the joint up tightly while the two threaded portions were thus misaligned. No amount of turning or torque applied to a joint could possibly make the joint up tightly when the pipes themselves were misaligned.

As compared to this, if the upstanding pipe end is maintained in a Vertical position, then the joint can be made up tightly because the two pipe sections will be in alignment. Asian illustration of this an old and muchly used string of drill pipe employed on a well recently Adrilled caused five washouts and destroyed five tool joints during the drilling of one well. This same string of pipe was then used on the next well and the tong of this invention used in making up the joints. In the drilling of this next well the same string of pipe was used to drill to a depth of 10,300 feet and no washouts occurred. Obviously this evidences the proofv of the fact that even old and worn joints, when properly made up will'not wash out.

Another feature of advantage with the present tong is that where there is no bending imparted to the pipe, the pipe will render a much longer service because it has been noted that where' the end of the pipe is bent and then lowered into the Well, when the pipe is rotated the end of each section is out of alignment and executes an eccentric motion in the well. This has ybeen apparent from the fact that the tool joints very often show a great deal of Wear on one side where the pipe bent suiciently to cause the tool joint to rub on the side of the well bore. This bending crystallizes the molecules of the material in the pipe vand results in crystallization and breakage.

In practicing the present invention it may be desirable to have extra tongs on the well of the usual type which may be used in breaking out the joints when the pipe is removed and the present tongused only in making up the joint going into the hole. Either practice may be followed as desired.

Broadly, the invention contemplates a method and apparatus for make-up and break-out pipe joints which will eliminate the bending of the pipe and provide a simple torque reaction.

What is claimed is:

1. A tong assembly to makevand break the joints of a string of pipe suspended in a well bore without imparting a bending movement to the pipe above the point where it is supported which assembly includes a pair of pipe tongs disposed one above the other to grip the respective pipe ends of the joint, means to exert a pull on one tong, independent means to anchor the other tong against the pull on the first tong, and independent means to suspend said tongs in spaced relation one above the other in operative position so that one tong is within the coniines ofthe suspending means of the other tong and the force of the pull is directly resisted by said anchor so as to avoid bending the pipe.

Y. 2. In a well drilling pipe tong assembly for a string of pipe having threaded connecting joints where the said pipe is supported in a well bore with a pipe coupling spaced above the point of support, a tong gripping the lower supported section of the coupling, said tong including a handle, means to anchor the handle against pull in one direction, oppositely extending arms on said handle adjacent the head of the tong, means extending from said arms and handle to a common point for connection to suspend the tong, a second tong having its head connected to the upper part of the pipe coupling, a handle thereon of less length than the handle of the iirst tong, said handle being disposed substantially above the handle of the first tong, said arms on the first tong being of a length vto space the tong supporting means apart far enough to receive said second tong handle therebetween and allow for movement there` of, independent means to support said second tong, and additional means to exert a pull thereon in an opposite direction from the anchoring means for the rst tong so that substantially no bending action will be applied to the upstanding pipe Vend above the pointiof support the .pull is resisted by the anchor in breaking out or inaking up the threaded pipe connection.

3. A pair of pipe tongs to operate together upon Y a pipe joint which is disposed in a vertical position such as a pipe supported in a well bore where the action and reaction are opposed to avoid bending the pipe, independent suspending means for each tong so that the tongs are disposed substantially one above the other, the said means for the lower tong including lateral arms so that the upper tong and its suspending means may bel disposed in the space thereby provided, means to anchor one tong, and additional means to exert a pull on the other tong directly away from such l anchor.

WILLIAM H. MAR'ITN. 

